ROW ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY ‑ WHITE LION ROW
ST.PETER'S ROW EAST (Palmer)
Old White Lion Row
St.Peter's Row East
(Johnson)
Row One Hundred and Thirty map
From
Middlegate Street to King Street.
“Visitors
must not miss the splendid panelling and oak staircase at the really old
"White Lion" tavern. This property was owned by James Symonds,
bailiff 1660, and who signed the address to Richard Cromwell. Gates into the
town wall spanned St.Peter's or Jetty Road, and were known as "White Lion
Gates".[1]
Fortunately
the White Lion still survives, and is for sale by Whitbread's in April 1994. As
a result I was able to arrange to view and photograph this wonderful old
building on the 26th. The roof was
probably un-seen by Johnson. It is accessed through a small door, looking like
a landing cupboard. Up a very narrow steep flight of stairs, the ancient
floorboards look original, as does the dust, although there was clearly a
Victorian attic bedroom here with a small coal burning fireplace! The ancient
wallpaper hangs from battens with no actual wall behind it. Many of the roof
beams are suspect and enormously bent.
Ecclestone
wrote an excellent guide-book when Lacons restored the pub before the war.
Called
formerly White Lion Row, and now St.Peter's Row East. At the south‑east corner, immediately fronting St.Peter's
Road, is an old house which for the last two centuries (17th.,18th), has been
known as the "Old White Lion" tavern. In
1684, James Symonds, by his will devised it to his widow for life, and after
her death it was purchased by John Fisher Esq., in 1738. John Symonds of
Yarmouth who died in 1657 descended from John Symonds of Cley‑next‑the‑Sea,
who died in 1492, leaving a son John Symonds whose son Ralph Symonds purchased
from the Earl of Rutland in 1541 the manor of Roos in Whitwell, Norfolk, and
died in 1557.
At the north‑east corner of St.Peter's
opening, resided for some time, having previously occupied a house on Apsley
Road, Capt.William Glasford Hemsworth R.N. The son of Daniel Addison Hemsworth,
who when purser of the H.M.S.Formidable, came to Yarmouth in 1776, where he
married Sarah, daughter of Anthony Browne.
All
the space between King Street and the Town Wall on the south side of the White
Lion Opening was in the 17th. century open ground, which in 1738 was conveyed
by Cotton Symonds to John Fisher, and was in 1760 brought in settlement on the
marriage of John James Fisher, youngest son of the latter with the daughter of
Prebendary Stedman. Upon a portion of this ground fronting Deneside are some
houses called Brunswick Terrace, in one of which resided Mr.James Beatty C.E.,
whilst employed by Sir Morton Peto in 1842 in the construction of the Yarmouth
and Norwich Railway. *1
On the
east side, immediately within the town wall between St.Peter's Road and Alma
Road, are the St.Peter's National schools,
with a master's house, erected in 1850, upon the site of an old sawpit, from a
design by Brown. In 1788 a look-out
called Symonds Seat was removed from eastward of the Playhouse to ground, north
of the site of the above schools. There
is a log book of the activities of the St.Peter's National Boys School, from
June 12th.1883 to October 1889. At that time the headmaster was Mr.G.H.Osborne,,
assistants were Mr.W.Ely, Mr.J.Sillis, and pupil teachers, W.H.Bunn,
F.H.Botham, and E.E.Davy. The school inspector in
1883
reported that "another class room would be a very great advantage, order
is good, and grammar and history very well taught". "W.H.Bunn has
passed fairly, but should attend to grammar and algebra".
In
October 1883, there was a report of a complaint by a shopkeeper in the market
row, that the lads Risings and Mills, had snatched a purse from the door-post
and taken it away. Mills confessed, was severely rebuked, showed the folly he
was falling into both as thief and truant, he cried freely, and promised with
sincerity (apparently) to give up his bad ways, and the society of the Risings,
who were found a short time since taking money from the till of their Sunday
School teacher's shop.
In
November 1883, Mr.A.Botham was reprimanded for striking a lad (Sinclair), in
the mouth, and hurting his lip. In December 1883 - "Mr.Bunt's class very
noisy and disorderly - only been used to class of 25 boys. A great deal of time
wasted in getting to work".
In
January 1884, Taylor broke one of the drain pipes on the Alma Road, during the
laying of a new sewer. On enquiry, it was Henry Taylor of the "truant
school" and his name was given to the watchman. In February 1884, Pupil
teacher Botham was sent for master to class room, as C.Holmes was disobedient
and impertinent, answered teacher with "I shan't".
In July 1884, Robert Green was caned for lying on the floor of porch and
kicking.
On 14th.July school commenced with a very attendance
of 168. It was race week. No boys were sent back for fees 'til the end of the
week, so that it might not be an excuse for staying away. In September of the
same year, Charles Hall, who had been absent since 18th.July, died and was
buried on 13th.
In
October 1884; 252 boys attended, out of
258 on the books.
In
the reports of Feb.1885,
Neslen,W.,
had a bad fall, his head much hurt by swinging boat last April, learns slowly. (presumably
an accident at the annual fair)
Symonds
W., very dull slow lad at work.
George
E., and Holmes,W., obvious dullness.
Tripp,J.,
nearly blind, sight of one eye gone.
Holmes,C.,
very dull and obstinate boy.
Powles,J.,
very dull child
Barber,J.,
knew nothing
Palmer,
Charles, learns slowly.
In
May 1885- Charles Holmes allowed to leave by the school board, qualified
neither by age or examination, bad lazy boy, and on December 14th.1885 -
Mr.Gallant came up to say his son was not well, that he bled at the nose a
great deal. The Rev,Goodrich (school Chaplain) visited several times this week.
On Monday and Tuesday evenings, free entertainments were given to the scholars
and their parents, consisting of songs and recitations, and a little play
called "Nursery Rhymia".
The
prizes were given on Tuesday evening by one of the Managers and J.W.B.Johnson
Esq.
In
February 1886, some reports -
Wiseman,
William, very dull and backward when readmitted, begins to read but cannot
spell. Letters only poorly known when admitted.
Redgrave,
Albert, neglected dirty, ignorant
child, letters not known.
Lingard,
Alf., very dull slow boy, failed
reading last year, and everything the year before.
Neslen,
William, obvious weakness, injured
head, takes two years to pass a standard.
Symonds,
W., very dull slow boy at everything
except reading.
Leach,
Horace, failed dictation, forced back
to school and made 38 out of 100 attendances.
Driver,
Alfred, 11 weeks sickness, deafness
increased, sight weak.
Acertained,
the number who would be glad of a penny dinner of meat, bread and potatoes on
Friday; 48 lads brought word, but on
Friday morning, about 60 brought their pennies. As only 41 could be provided
for, the master took the children of
all who were out of employment first, then the more or less distressed cases.
The children had their dinners at St.Peter's Mission House.
Attempted
invasion
One day in September 1940, the
home guard gathered in the old school buildings on what must have surely been
the most fateful night of the earlier part,
if not the whole war. At that time the school had been discontinued, and
it had been for some time used as a centre for the scouts and as a community
centre. At this particular time however,
it was the headquarters of the home guard. They had been called to
action stations, and were now dispatched to dig themselves in on the
beach. This story now continues under
"Marine Parade".
Other
row occupants
Arthur
Ewles the shrimper, sold shrimps from the well known shop in the row. His father,
Harry worked for the gas co., and is seen in the outing photo. (row 113) David
Robert Bensley lived in this row in 1932, when Eileen was born. David was a
fisherman, son of another fisherman,
married to Elizabeth Laura from Caister. Sister to Eileen was Mollie. The family left for Bartram's Row in
1933.
Arthur
Palmer (row 129) and the other children in winter ran up and down these rows in
winter with the benefit sometimes of home made-hand warmers. These were tin
cans stuffed with rags and set alight to smoulder. If the rag burned to well
the child would soon have to drop the can!
Orange
boxes then had straw rope around them, and they pulled this off and made whips
of them. They went out onto the quay to play, less often in Middlegate. They
had stock-whip fights, whirling the straw rope around on sticks, all quite
harmless though. In Field The Butcher's Row opposite, there was a large open
space on which to play football. Another game on the quayside was to jump about
between the railway trucks. At Easter
time all the boys would gather on the quay. The cigarette cards would be
children's currency, and the boy with the most would be leader. A game was
played by flicking the cards so as to try to get one to land on top of the
other, thus winning the cards. During this season other games on the quay
included "Ringle boards",
"Housey housey" (Bingo) and dart boards. All these games won
or lost cigarette cards.
The Occupants, Row 130, 1886
( from King Street to Middlegate
Street)
Smith, T., dairyman and greengrocer
Moss, T., ship carpenter
Smith, J., fishmonger
Fisher, J.
Juby, J., fisherman
Mills, M., mariner
Hawkins, J., smacksman
Smith, Mrs. C.B., pork butcher
Harrod, F., block maker
Simmons, Mrs.H.
Fill, T., ship carpenter
Souter, J., smacksman
Woodrow, Mrs.
Salter, Mrs.
Rigg,F., fancy drapery and wool
repository
Smith, C.
Foster, J., tailor
Thompson, Mrs.
Bishop, W., tailor
Howes, C., bootmaker
Blaza, Miss, dressmaker
The Occupants, Row 130, 1913
( from King Street to Middlegate
Street)
North side
2. Mansi, Frank, confectioner
4. Ames, Samuel, fish curer
5. Middleton, Henry James
5a. Goodrum, Sidney
6. Withers, Richard
7. Richards, Thomas, boot maker
8. Easter, Herbert
8a. Millett, Jacob
9. Smith, Mrs. Emily, dairy
10. Scott, Byron
11. Barber, James
12. Flaxman, Samuel
13. Ewles, Arthur, shrimper
13a. Elliott, Albert George
13b. Bryant, James Robert
South side
17. Middleton, Herbert, hairdresser
19. Sparham, Charles
21. Wright, George
22. Sullivan, John, confectioner
23. Green, William, tobacconist
23. Burgess, Arthur
The Occupants, Row 130, 1927
( from King Street to Middlegate
Street)
North side
2. Mansi, Frank, confectioner
3. & 4. Ames, Mrs.S., fish curer
6. Richards, Albert, clothier
7. Richards, Thomas, boot maker
8. Easter, Herbert
8a. Millett, Jacob
9. Smith, Horatio, dairy
10. Ewles, Arthur, shrimper
11. Calver, Robert
12. Beckett, Neville George
13. Farrow, Frederick George
13a. Duffield, Mrs.
14. Todd, Mrs.
South side
19. Sparham, Charles
20. Mitchell, William
21. Cooper, Edgar
22. Smith, Mrs. G., confectioner
23. Storey, Arthur, boot repairer
The Occupants, Row 130, 1936
( from King Street to Middlegate
Street)
North side
2. Mansi, Frank, confectioner
3. Codman, Percy
6. Richards, Mrs. Anne, clothier
8. Easter, Herbert
8a. Millett, Jacob
9. Smith, Horatio, dairy
10. Ewles, Arthur, shrimper
11. Todd, Mrs. P.
12. Beckett, Neville George
13. Parminter, William
13a. Toun, Joseph
14. Todd, Mrs.
South side
17. Thompson, Charles G., newsagent
18. Smith, Horatio B., fishmonger
19. Sparham, Charles (Horace
J.Bensley in 1938)
20. Buchan, John
21. Cooper, Edgar
22. Smith, George
23. Storey, Arthur, boot repairer